Coda

What makes a hot topic a hot topic is the contention around the issue and the passion with which people carry themselves when debating the issue. Open Carry is a hot topic.

I think it’s great to see the legislative improvement regarding Open Carry. Is this enough for some people? No. But it is important to remember that sweeping and fast change is rare, and usually what winds up getting things there is incremental change. With many things in life slow, steady, incremental improvements, consistent work over time, that’s what gets you where you ultimately want to be. It’s like crash dieting vs. changing your lifestyle, which is going to lead to a better results over the long haul?

And because there are less legal impediments for law-abiding citizens, that does open up more options from a tactical perspective. But remember to evaluate your tactics from a point of knowledge and ability. This isn’t just getting a retention holster and learning a few retention techniques (but that is part of it), but dedicating yourself to greater awareness, getting empty-hand skills, undergoing scenario force-on-force training and improving your overall skillset (that whole “with greater power comes great responsibility” thing, and that includes improving yourself). It’s also making wise choices, because it may be the better approach is to remain the gray man, to not draw attention to yourself. Choose wisely, and don’t let your choices (driven by ego or ignorance) put you into a position of regret.

Always remember: if you put yourself in the public eye, the public will watch you and will judge you. If you do not like their judgement, handle it like a professional, handle it with dignity and respect, handle it with humility. Let them see that you are a Good Person by any standard (yours, theirs, society’s). Don’t become fuel for their fight; be someone who can dampen their flames.